does anyone know of any financial help we are entitled to?!
I dont get Disabilty because I can aparently walk to far...would love the people that justifify my walking to wlk a few yards with me!
cant get the industriat benefit becuase my asthma wasnt caused in work...
and i cant find anything else?!
x
Benefits
Employment Support Allowance has replaced Incapacity Benefit - you will need to complete a claim form and submit a medical certificate from your GP. It would be best if you claimed both contributory and non-contributory, because it depends on your National Insurance record over the last 3 years.
You will be medically assessed within 10 weeks of your claim, whilst receiving benefit. Then you have options from there on.
Disability Living Allowance is a non-means tested benefit which is paid on medical examination and evidence after filling a book of questions.
Council Tax and Housing Benefit are paid by your Local Authority.
I have had asthma for 30 years, and have held down a full time job - yes there have been attacks which have neccesitated me taking time off - but not that long. Don't think that if you have asthma you can not work - David Beckham is asthmatic but look what he has achieved.
I have a full time job, just my consultant keeps signing me off sick every two weeks becuase he feels my chest isnt at a good enough strength to be working (hospital enviornment, he thinks i would pick up infections to easily currently), and plus ive had 9 nasty attacks since april resulting in a lot of hospital stays keeping me out of work at the moment, so on long term sick...
so as a result im struggling finacially...i cant get Employent one as is getting statatory sick pay and you cant get them both at the same time.
Taff I think ur comment about asthma and working is so out dated and insulting to those that want work but unable to do so ..... many of my friends and now myself are in this situation. I worked hard since leaving school in a job I love to be told by management that I was no longer fit for purpose of employment and as such was being paid off . After 22 years service i got shown the door. I was told by every one and his uncle that I will never again maintain employment, as wouldn't pass a probationary period due to sick time, time required for medications and my asthma symptoms that occurr on a daily basis despite all the meds I take !!!!!!!!!!
Gussypoo, well said!! I was unable to work for over 10 years, but got back to work about 5 years ago. I work for the Nhs who seem a bit more tolerant than private employers as have been off sick a lot this year. I did get dla for a while but used this to learn to drive and gain independence, no longer qualify.
Charlie warlie u need to get help to fill in the forms from health care professionals and do so as if u are at your worst.
Cheers x
charlie i work full time but still qualify for dla got an appt tho with welfare rights to fill form in so ring for the form but get help filling it in. i did the same with my form for blue badge. citizens advice helped me with that and where they ask how far you can walk they asked me how far without meds which is totally diff to with meds.
thanx guys...very much helpful...i never thought about the walking without medication...wont they pick up the sudden change on the form for walking though as thats why they said I could have it before hand... can you only get the blue badge if your classified as disabled?!
x
I am always wondering about fianical help, i get free prescriptions which i am very glad of. DLA is very hard to get, i have multiple conditions so i applied as i cant go out by myself, cant cook a meal, and they wont give it to me despite applying four times. i dont know why it is stupid, but does not help that they change my words, like they said i dont need help with cooking a meal, and that i prefer to have someone with me when i am out, which is a load of rubbish.
I have managed to register as disabled and get a blue badge fine, with no problems and was supported by my doctors, but they dont seem to be supporting my application.
if you take buses a lot, i would say get a free bus pass, as i have one, and i dont know what i do without it, as really helps with being on low income and enables to get to my appointments. hate how they changed it so i cant use my card before 9.30am, which is a nightmare as most of my appointment are in the morning and have had to skip a few
please use the services of cab or money advice centre when applying or filling in forms.... please reade the questions serveral times and think of your answer before writing it down..... re mobility what confuse people is how far they can walk....... please consider how far can you walk before ypu get asthma symptoms , or when u gotta take your inhaler and use this as your distance.....
best thing is to get both forms and take them to cab or welfare rights. i had previouly applied for blue badge and filled form in self and was turned down as could walk to far like you didn't think about how far can walk without meds. nothingn was said. as for DLA was refused but welfare rights automatically applealed on my behalf without me doing a thing as i work full time and contacted my consultant as i gave them permission to and it was granted. so my advice is get the forms and book appts to get help having them filled in i was truthful on how i am on a general day not a bad day and they put it down that sometimes i could manage but other times i had to go upstairs on hands and knees and found it hard to carry anything upstairs now unless in several trips.
I find that preparation is key (as for most things!).
Take your time filling out the forms. If you're thinking about applying but not sure, it might be helpful to keep a diary of some of the things that are asked on the form, so that you can have a good idea for yourself of what things are like on a good day and on a bad day. I find that when things are good I can't remember how bad they can get, and the same when things are bad! It might just be me with the crazy memory, but I find it really helpful to have examples of things to mention, such as what Katherine said about needing to make several trips up and down stairs if carrying things, or the number of times you wake up at night in an average night/week, and whether you need help when you wake.
DLA forms also ask what aids or techniques you use to help, so it might be worth asking someone who doesn't see you every day to help with this. I am so used to the way I do things that it seems completely normal to me. Doesn't everyone sit down while they're ironing or peeling vegetables? Apparently not!
It might also be worth trying to do some of the things that the form asks about even if you don't normally do them. Maybe you don't normally cook a full meal, shower without help, etc. but it would be pretty useful to know what happens when you try!
From speaking to friends who have and have not been successful with DLA applications, it seems as though it's helpful to give concrete examples about distances you can walk, weights you can lift (e.g. a litre of milk), number of steps you can walk up or down, etc.
It's helpful to have a GP or consultant (or even a physio, OT or asthma nurse) on your side. It might be worth talking directly to them about the questions on the form so that they know what you're like when you're not in an appointment. They might assume that because you can walk from the waiting room to the appointment room, you don't have any problems walking, and it might actually be news to them if you tell them that you can only walk x distance. Obviously, they probably know what medications you take, but it might be worth reminding them, especially for things that are taken 'as required'. You could also tell them about other techniques that you use to deal with breathlessness, pain, fatigue, etc. (things like heat, pacing, rest, guided imagery, controlled breathing techniques, ice packs, and so on, and so on). This will allow them to be as well-informed as possible when they get their part of the form.
If you've already been granted DLA for a period of time, it might be worth keeping a copy of the form so that you can remember what you wrote, and to keep a record of things that have happened since then. As I've already said, numbers are good. Saying, ""I have lots of hospital appointments"" is less powerful than saying, ""I have had an average of 1-2 medical appointments per week for the last year"".
Clearly just rambling now, but I hope the above is helpful!
PS. If you are awarded DLA you may also be eligible for help with council tax (you may get to go down a band, even if your income is too high for council tax benefit). You can also apply for working tax credits as someone with a disability (if you work, obv.), a blue badge (your GP or consultant can sign this for you even if you don't get DLA)
Not quite financial aid, but if you need any adaptations to your house, you may be eligible to get financial help from your local council. They can also provide an occupational therapy/social services assessment to see if you need any equipment, personal care or home adaptations, such as a seat in the shower. They can often provide equipment on long-term loan with no charge.
David Beckham may be asthmatic but I am not sure how many times he has ended up being taken out of work by ambulance because asthma attack is so severe need immediate hospital treatment sometimes with hospitals stays extending into weeks and months. I work part time have cut down from full time this year as body was not able to cope. Have applied for DLA in April still waiting to hear whether it has been granted.
I love my job and would really love to be back full time, not just financially but also for my own dlef esteem but have had to take the option that will best preseve my health.
thank you guys, you have all been amazingly helpful...I will definatly be contacting and visiting CAB next week to get advice...how and where do I get a welfare person to help?!?!
Definatly agree with the david beckham thingy...also dont see him needing to run off pitch after 10-20 mins of running needing a top up of inhaler!? 
haha
xx
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